Hi. It me, delivering another set of late bullets. Sorry!
• Welcome to the Chicago Bulls offseason! With the NBA Board of Governors approval of Commissioner Adam Silver’s 22-team plan, basketball is officially a wrap in the Windy City – until at least December. The fact that we’ll potentially go nine months without a Bulls game is pretty freakin’ weird (and for more on all the new NBA dates, check out our post from earlier), but at least that means the new front office will have plenty of time to get acclimated. As NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson kindly reminded us, Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley have made two things very clear: (1) They were hired to “affect change,” and (2) this will now be a player-first organization. This extended offseason for the Bulls could be a great opportunity to work out all the kinks and fully implement a new foundation/culture by the time the 2020-21 season rolls around. Not to mention, when you consider how important in-depth evaluation is to these two guys, they should be able to use this time to really pinpoint how invested they are in some of the pieces on this current roster.
• Another important note: Karnisovas was reportedly waiting for the official announcement on the fate of the NBA season to fire Jim Boylen … well, here we are. With the Knicks set to begin their coaching search soon, perhaps the Bulls will feel some added pressure to move quickly. However, at the same time, some of the Bulls prospective candidates are probably sitting on the bench with a current playoff team. The timeline here will be interesting to follow, but it would probably be in the Bulls’ best interest to have a new guy in the door if the non-Orlando teams are advised to hold a mini summer training camp, which is an ongoing topic of conversation in NBA circles.
• Johnson also wrote this in his latest article and it makes me sad:
What? https://t.co/l2VVdFxZ5E pic.twitter.com/ByTpvFYu8r
— Jason Patt (@Bulls_Jay) June 3, 2020
• Why the hell was Boylen dealing with agents and working on the business side of things? Also, that isn’t an excuse for his problematic coaching. All this does is demonstrate – yet again – how dysfunctional this past regime really was.
• The Draft lottery is now set for August 25th, and the draft will happen on October 15th. If the NBA could still figure out a way to hold a draft combine or in-person workouts … that would be splendid.
The NCAA says draft prospects have until 10 days after the NBA draft combine or Aug. 3, whichever comes first, to withdraw from the postponed 2020 draft.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 4, 2020
• Here’s roughly what I want to see done this offseason:
The Karnisovas and Eversley Offseason Checklist:
-Do a formal coaching search
-Bolster Player Development
-Hire a new Head Athletic Trainer
-Sign Markkanen to team-friendly extension
-Add wing depth (via draft or FA)
-Prove to Bulls fans that "what I say goes!"— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) June 4, 2020
• I don’t think the last point should go unnoticed. Over the next couple of months, I really want to see both of these guys grab the Bull(s) by the horns. I want to see some quick additions to this front office and listen to some encouraging interviews. I know these two are already on the fans’ good side because, well, they’re not GarPax, but they should make an effort to truly show fans they’re here to switch things up. In other words, we have trust issues … show us we can trust you.
• I think we pretty much expected this.
The NBA G League is canceling the remainder of its season, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 4, 2020
• If the Knicks are interviewing their head coach from 2012 does that mean the Bulls will too? (To be very clear, that’s a joke. I don’t believe Tom Thibodeau is coming back to Chicago. Plus, he’s the Knicks’ front runner and he hasn’t even interviewed.)
In addition to Tom Thibodeau, Kenny Atkinson & interim HC Mike Miller, the Knicks are planning to interview former head coach Mike Woodson for their vacancy, per SNY sources. Woodson won 54 games with NYK in 2012-13 and won a playoff series that season, their only one since 2000
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 4, 2020
• MJ >> MJ
NBA on NBC was the greatest intro ever!
How about Michael Jordan vs. Magic Johnson? It was the ultimate dream matchup in 1991 NBA Finals. pic.twitter.com/xz5fKLcivA
— OLDSKOOLBBALL (@Oldskoolbball1) June 2, 2020
• I don’t think I’ve ever brought up anything hockey related in these bullets, but I will not stand for this slander!
Uh, the highest rated games in our channel’s history on NBC Sports Chicago are HOCKEY. And our channel carried the Cubs, White Sox, Bulls and Blackawks. Bad take @maxkellerman https://t.co/os1v0MEo0U
— David Kaplan (@thekapman) June 4, 2020
• Definitely worth a watch:
It's time for a conversation.
Join @TurnerSportsEJ, @TheJetOnTNT, @SHAQ and Charles Barkley for a special edition of Inside the NBA tonight at 8 p.m. ET on TNT. pic.twitter.com/ZjBhlHcpIh
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 4, 2020